Daddy's Little Girl
by kaela097
Summary: Takes place two months after 'Happiness in Unexpected Places'. Chuck is realizing that his work is interfering with being there for his family.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"Chuck, she needs to get used to sleeping in her crib," Blair scolded softly when she woke in the early morning hours to find Chuck sitting in the leather armchair in the corner of their room with their two month old angel in his arms. He was humming quietly to keep the little girl from fussing and waking up her mother.

"I couldn't help myself," Chuck admitted sheepishly as he marveled for the millionth time about how much he loved his time with his family, "I never tire of this."

"Chuck, we've talked about this," she responded sternly as she got out of bed and made her way towards the pair.

"I'm sorry, but I barely get to spend time with her. I work ten hours a day and when I get home she's already asleep. I'm going to miss out on this little one's life if I'm not careful," he insisted as he caressed her tiny hand with his fingers. Charlotte yawned as she began to doze off again.

"You're not missing anything yet," Blair tried to assure him as she bent forward to his lips and then her forehead.

"Yes, I am," he nodded as his inner turmoil began to resurface, "She's smiling and laughing already. She's reaching out to try grasping things. She gurgles and coos on command. She's going to start crawling, and then walking, and I'm going to miss it."

"You aren't going to miss it," Blair responded as she knelt down next to him, resting her head on his knee, "I will never let that happen."

"You can't guarantee that," he sighed, "She won't announce when she's going to start doing those things. It's just going to happen. Chances are, I'm going to miss it."

"What do you propose we do to ensure that doesn't happen?" Blair asked as he caressed her hair rhythmically. He was putting her to sleep with his motions.

"I'm going to take a leave of absence from the empire," he announced.

"Just like that, without any discussion," she snapped. She really hated how impulsive her husband could be from time to time.

"I'm going to take a few months to get things in order at the office, and then yes, I'm going to take some time off," he clarified, "I'll start with taking just a few months, but I'm seriously considering resigning as CEO. I'll keep my position as chairman of the board, but the demands on my time will be considerably less. An added bonus is that I'll be able to focus on the part of the business that I love most, R&D."

"You've given this some thought," she realized. She was originally upset that he was just throwing ideas out without any thought, but that wasn't the case. He was serious about this.

"You've already said that you're taking the first year off," he replied, "I was thinking that we could go away for awhile, just the three of us. We haven't really taken any time off since our honeymoon over two years ago. It's time."

"You know I'll support whatever decision you make, but don't rush into this," Blair stated as she reached out to take Charlotte from his arms and put her in her designer crib, "And she needs to start sleeping in her crib."

Chuck nodded in agreement as he allowed Blair to pull him back to bed. It was too early to think about getting ready for the office, but too late to really consider trying to go back to sleep. Instead he pulled Blair to him and held her in his arms as she continued to rest.

He marveled at what a wonderful mother she had become. Like him, she was determined to be a better mother than hers was to her. When Chuck had proposed that they hire a nanny, Blair flat out refused. She was not going to let someone else raise her child. He drifted off to sleep smiling at the determined look on her face as they had that discussion. She was so unbelievably sexy when she was so fired up.

"Eugenia, it's Blair Bass," Chuck heard as he fought the grogginess to try and make sense of what was going on around him. "Chuck won't be making it into the office today. He's feeling a little under the weather . . . Yes, I'll make sure he's well taken care of . . . Yes, of course, I'll make sure that he doesn't spread his germs to Charlotte. If he feels up to it, I'll have him call you later today . . . Thank you, Eugenia."

"Blair, what did you just do?" Chuck exclaimed as he got up from the bed to pull the phone out of her hand. He wanted to shout out a colorful string of curse words, but Charlotte was within earshot, and he was always very mindful of his language around her. No sense giving her a head start on the vulgar language he had learned from his father.

He was trying to hit redial the phone to undo the damage that she had done, but her reflexes were quicker and she snatched it away from him and slid it down the front of her nightgown.

"I hope you don't think that's going to stop me from retrieving it," he chuckled as he looked at the devilish grin on her face as he reached towards her as he moved to dive his hand down her gown.

"Not so fast, Bass," Blair responded as she backed away reaching out to catch his hand, "You were complaining just a few hours ago about not spending enough time with our daughter. I'm giving you the opportunity to make up for some of that. I called Serena, and she's going to take me shopping for a few hours."

"Are you serious?" Chuck laughed. She hadn't expected him to be as thrilled as he was about the prospect of spending several hours alone with his little angel.

"You sound excited about that," she responded in surprise.

"Well, I would rather spend the day with both of my favorite women, but one out of two isn't bad," he responded as he reached out for the belt of her robe to pull her towards him. Her arms went around his reflexively as he leaned in to kiss her. A moaned escaped her lips as he deepened the kiss. "How long until Serena gets here?"

"A couple of hours," she shrugged as he lifted her into his arms and carried her to their bed. They had just been given the okay by the doctor to resume sexual activity a few days earlier, and being Blair and Chuck they took full advantage of every moment available.

Chuck actions were interrupted by the gurgling sounds coming from the crib in the room. Charlotte was waking up.

"Give me five minutes," Blair responded as she nudged him away. Chuck rolled over her and onto his back, groaning as she slid out of bed. There was only one thing that could slow Chuck and Blair down in bed, and Charlotte was it.

Blair quickly picked her daughter up and left the room.

Chuck waited patiently for ten minutes before he decided to take a shower. He figured Blair was probably getting Charlotte ready for her day with daddy. He smiled just thinking about it.

"You couldn't wait five more minutes," Blair stated as she slipped into the shower with him.

"Charlotte?" Chuck asked as her arms came around his neck to pull him towards her.

"She fell back asleep, and we have about an hour before Serena comes by," Blair responded as she began nibbling his ear, "I'm open for suggestions on how we can fill that time." An audible groan escaped his lips as she found one of his vulnerable spots on his neck.

"You are an evil woman," Chuck whispered as he began returning the favor.

"Just the way you like me," she grinned as they made love in the shower.

**TBC...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

Chuck and Blair spent so much time in the shower that she was still getting ready when Serena stepped off the elevator and into the penthouse.

Charlotte had woken up almost as soon as Blair and Chuck stepped out of the shower. Chuck quickly dried himself off and got dressed before he scooped her up and took her into the living room. Struggling to spread out a blanket as he held her in his arm, he finally had it spread out enough so that he could lay her down on her stomach.

"Hey, Chuck," Serena stated as she walked into the penthouse and knelt down next to the pair.

"Hey, Sis," Chuck smirked as Serena reached out to kiss the top of Charlotte's head.

"Hey, Charlee," Serena added in a high-pitched voice. Charlotte turned her head at the recognition of the voice and responded with a gurgle. Serena chuckled as she kissed her head again. "She is just the cutest thing in the world."

"No arguments there," Chuck agreed as he watched Charlotte squirm on her stomach. She was trying to hold her head and shoulders up, which Chuck had read was the first step towards starting to crawl. Chuck had first seen her do it a few days ago and joked with Blair that she was exercising because it looked like she was doing little pushups.

"Some day boys are going to be lining up to take her out," Serena added.

"Hold your tongue, S," Chuck gasped. He was already dreading the day as it was. His greatest fear was that Charlotte would fall for someone like himself. His little girl deserved the best there was, just as Blair had. Obviously Blair settled for so much less, but no little girl of his was going to.

"Is Blair ready?" Serena asked as she took a seat.

"Not yet," Chuck replied as he began making faces to Charlotte so that she would begin laughing again, "She got a late start this morning."

"How is that possible?" Serena asked, "She called me almost three hours ago. Even Blair doesn't take that long to get ready."

"She felt the need to join me for a shower this morning. Apparently she was so dirty that she couldn't wait," Chuck grinned devilishly, knowing that it would get under Serena's skin.

"Ew . . . Chuck, come on," Serena groaned, "My ears are burning. I don't need to know about your sex life."

Chuck laughed in response. After all these years, she should be used to it, but his suggestive remarks always seemed to get a rise out of her. Honestly, what did she expect? He had always had an above average sex drive.

"So what do you two have planned for your day?" Serena asked in a desperate attempt to change the subject.

"I'm taking Charlotte to the zoo in Central Park," he replied as he picked up Charlotte in his arms and kissed her forehead, "I always enjoyed going as a child, so why not get her started early."

"That sounds like so much fun," Serena sighed as she watched the interaction between Chuck and his child. Charlotte was so comfortable with him. "You've come a long way since those first few moments at the hospital when you held Charlee in your arms for the first time."

"I have a lot more practice," he responded as he bounced her up and down gently which elicited a giggle from his little girl. His grin widened in response as his eyes brightened.

Serena quickly reached into her bag and took out her camera phone and snapped a picture, setting the adorable photo as her wallpaper.

"Did you want to hold her for a few minutes? I can go check to see how much longer Blair is going to be," Chuck offered. Truthfully, he hated to give her up, but Serena was her godmother so she was entitled.

Serena nodded as she held out her arms as Chuck passed her off. Charlotte fussed a little in the unfamiliar arms, but settled down at Chuck's urging.

"I'll be right back," Chuck responded as he disappeared into the bedroom.

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"Serena's waiting for you," Chuck responded as he stood in the doorframe of the bathroom to watch his wife prepare for her day out with Serena. She was sitting at her vanity applying her makeup.

"I'm almost ready," Blair insisted as she studied her reflection in the mirror.

"I don't know why you mess with all of that," Chuck responded as he took several steps forward. He was behind her, swiping her hair off her neck so that he could place several kisses there, "You're just as beautiful without any makeup."

"You're my husband, so you have to say that," Blair sighed in content.

"I never tire of hearing you refer to me as your husband," Chuck whispered as he continued nipping at her neck, "It's such a turn on."

"Down, Boy," Blair teased as she stood up after one last look in the mirror and concluded that her appearance was satisfactory, "Serena and our daughter are waiting. I don't mind keeping Serena waiting, but I do mind keeping Charlee waiting."

"You have a point, I'm sure," he agreed as she spun and kissed his lips, her arms coming around his neck, pulling him close to her. A passionate moan escaped her lips as he deepened the kiss, placing his hands on her hips to pull her even closer to him. "But I'm not hearing it."

"Our daughter is waiting for her day with daddy. Are you going to keep her waiting?" Blair mumbled into his lips.

"No," he responded as he pulled away abruptly causing Blair to lose her balance and almost topple over. He caught her quickly and held her tight as she regained her balance while trying to conceal a laugh.

"We better not keep Charlee and Serena waiting," Blair stated reluctantly.

"We'll pick this up tonight after Charlotte goes to sleep," Chuck promised as he kissed her once more before he took a hold of her hand and pulled her to the living room were Serena was telling Charlotte stories of the crazy things her parents used to do.

"Stop corrupting our daughter!" Blair gasped upon realizing what Serena was doing. "Our daughter is going to be the perfect Upper East Side debutant. Don't go giving her any bad ideas!"

"Blair, she's eight weeks old," Chuck laughed, "She's not old enough to understand the words yet let alone what they mean."

"I don't care!" Blair exclaimed, "Charlotte is going to grow up thinking that her parents are perfect."

"You do realize who you married, right?" Chuck reminded her has be tapped her on the shoulder, "Chuck Bass, remember." Blair couldn't help but chuckle in response as he held out his hand as if he was introducing himself to her. "We don't have to be perfect, in fact we'll never be perfect," Chuck added, "But she will definitely learn from our mistakes."

"Are you ready to go shopping, B?" Serena asked in an effort to change the subject as she handed Charlotte to Blair.

Blair nodded as she looked at Charlotte, "Now you make daddy behave today." Charlotte began giggling as if she understood every word that Blair was telling her. Blair began to laugh with her as she kissed her daughter's chubby little cheeks. "You have the sweetest laugh."

"We'd better get going. Barneys just released their latest fashions and it will be a mob if we don't get there early," Serena responded as Blair passed Charlotte off to Chuck.

"Where are you taking Charlee today?" Blair asked him as she went to the table near the elevator to grab her purse.

"I was thinking Central Park," he responded as Charlotte decided to rest her head on his shoulder and looked to be falling asleep.

"I'll call you once we finish shopping," Blair responded, "Perhaps we can meet up and have a picnic in the park this afternoon."

Chuck nodded in agreement as he walked with her towards the elevator. "That sounds like a wonderful idea."

"Credit card, please," Blair requested sweetly as she held out her hand.

"You have your own," Chuck responded as he looked at her curiously.

"Yes, but yours has a much higher limit, and I intend to do some major damage. This is the first time I've been able to go shopping since I was pregnant. All my clothes are now out of fashion," she explained.

"Blair Waldorf Bass will never be out of fashion. She sets the fashion," Chuck insisted.

"Card?" she repeated as she batted her eyelashes at him, still holding out her hand expectantly.

Chuck growled at the realization that he wasn't going to be able to turn her down. He reached for his money clip on the table and handed it to her so that she could select the card of her choice. Naturally she selected the one with the highest available limit.

"Don't worry Bass, you'll still be rich when we return," Serena tried to assure him.

"You'll just be the fourth most richest man in the world instead of the third," Blair added as she pocketed his credit card. She quickly kissed Charlotte and then Chuck and made her way quickly towards the elevator doors before Chuck could change his mind and take the card away. "I love you, Bass."

"Love you too, Waldorf," he called after her. He was regretting the loudness in his voice as Charlotte flinched, but Blair and Serena were both laughing as the elevator doors closed leaving Chuck and his princess all alone. Charlotte settled back down quickly and was out like a light. She was such a sound sleeper, just like her mother.

With his little girl sound asleep, he decided that their outing in Central Park would need to wait a little while. He carried her into her room and found a book on the shelf that he could read to her as she slept. He liked to read to her even if she was asleep. He didn't want her to ever forget how his voice sounded.

He could wait for their little adventure. Just spending time with her was enough for him.

**TBC . . .**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

Charlotte woke up after a few hours of napping. It suddenly hit Chuck as he began getting her ready for their adventure, that he'd never been in charge of getting Charlotte ready before and didn't know what he needed to bring. He began throwing every possible toy into her bag along with an abundant supply of diapers and formula. Their pour limo driver had to make several trips from the building to the car to load up all of the supplies.

"Where to Mister Bass?" Chuck's driver, Henry, asked as he held the door open to the limo for Chuck and Charlotte to get in.

"Central Park, please," Chuck requested before the driver closed the door. His usual morning newspaper was waiting for him as he usually read it during his drive to the office every morning. He made sure that Charlotte was secure before he began scanning the headlines. He suddenly froze upon seeing the current date. How could he have forgotten what today was.

"Change of plans, Henry," Chuck stated as he rolled down the partition to speak with his driver. "You know what today is, and you know where to go." Henry nodded in understanding as Chuck rolled the glass back up before turning to his daughter. "We're going to be taking a little side trip before we go to the park, Charlotte. I promise we won't stay long." The little girl reached out her hand to him as if she wanted him to hold it. He happily complied.

"Did you want me to watch Charlotte?" Henry asked once he arrived at their destination and opened the door to allow Chuck out.

"Don't be ridiculous," Chuck stated as he pulled Charlotte from her car seat and exited the vehicle, "I pay you to baby sit my vehicles not my daughter. We won't be long."

"Certainly, Sir," Henry agreed as he handed Chuck a bouquet of roses he had made sure to have available before he watched Chuck walk through the cemetery.

"It's me," Chuck responded as he sat down at his parents' graves with Charlotte in his lap after he laid the flowers down in front of his mother, "And I brought a visitor with me this year. I want to introduce you two to your granddaughter Charlotte.

"She is the most adorable little thing in the world. Even you, Bart Bass, the hardest SOB in the world, would melt under her influence. She looks like Blair, thankfully, but Mom she has your eyes," Chuck continued. Charlotte began giggling in his arms. Chuck smiled slightly as he kissed her hand that was reaching out to him.

"Charlotte, these are your grandparents. You'll never be able to meet them, but I'll make sure that you know about them, at least the important things," Chuck assured her. He took a few deep breaths to regain his composure as a tear fell down his cheek.

This day was always the hardest day of the year for him. It was the day that Bart Bass died and left him alone in the world, well almost. He still had the van der Woodsens. They filled a small hole that his father had left, but really it was Blair that put him completely back together. Chuck had begun coming to the cemetery last year on the anniversary of the day his dad died. It had always been a hard day for him, and Blair had suggested it. She had even volunteered to come with him, but he refused. He didn't understand why, but it felt right being here with Charlotte.

"Like I promised on my wedding day. I'm making you both proud. I'm an excellent husband, and I'm learning to be a good father. I love Blair and Charlotte with everything I have in me, and I make sure that they hear it every day.

"Dad, Bass Industries is doing great. I know that's important to you. I've done my best to make sure of that, but I'm going to be stepping away from it for a while. I'll make sure that it's well looked after, but it's what I need to do for me and my family. I don't want to look back on my life when Charlotte is twenty years old and see all of the things that I miss because I was trying to be Bart Bass. I'd rather be Charlotte's Bass's father. I hope that doesn't disappoint you," Chuck responded. Each word became harder to verbalize and suddenly he found himself crying softly.

Charlotte sat quietly for a few minutes as if she somehow knew that Chuck needed a few moment of complete silence. Finally, she began gurgling and giggling, which brought Chuck to reality. He began laughing with her as he raised her up to kiss her. She was exactly what he needed to pull himself out of his funk.

"Oh, I love you, Charlotte," Chuck sighed as he hugged her, "You and your crazy mother." She continued to giggle. "Come on, let's go have fun in the park." Chuck stood up with Charlotte, turned towards his parents' gravestones again and had Charlotte wave goodbye to her grandparents. "I promise I'll bring her back to see you again."

* * *

"Alright, Charlotte, it's time for you to become a true New Yorker," Chuck stated as he laid her down in her stroller as he began walking her into Central Park, "You can never truly claim to be a New Yorker until you've gone to Central Park and ate a street vendor hotdog. Obviously, you'll have to save the hotdog for another day, as you haven't even cut your first tooth yet, but Central Park is a start."

Charlotte had fallen asleep on the drive from the cemetery to the park. He still talked to her as if she was awake, but he decided to just stroll around the park with her until she woke up, then he would take her to the zoo. It was a beautifully warm fall day. He had made sure to dress Charlotte appropriately for the season and wrapped in her an extra blanket so that she wouldn't get a chill, but now he feared she might get overheated so he quickly stopped in front of a bench, sat down as he unwrapped her. She fussed a little as she slept, but soon was back into her deep slumber.

"What an adorable little girl," a young woman cooed as she bent over the stroller to look at the sleeping baby, "How old is she?"

"Two months," Chuck responded proudly, not even paying attention to the woman. His focus was on Charlotte.

"What a lucky girl. Getting to spend her day with her daddy," the woman responded.

"I'm the lucky one," Chuck replied as he pulled back to look at the woman. He immediately recognized the bohemian dressed woman, "Vanessa!"

"Hey, Chuck," she responded with a laugh at his surprised expression, "It's been awhile."

"A long while," Chuck agreed, "What's it been five years?"

"Six," she corrected him as she sat down next to him.

"Are you still doing the filmmaking thing?" Chuck inquired.

"I certainly am," Vanessa nodded, "And of course, you're still doing the CEO thing. That's worked out pretty well for you, I hear. I'm surprised that you're not at the office."

"That was Blair's doing," Chuck replied. Vanessa noticed the way Chuck's eye's lit up at the mention of Blair's name. Clearly, he was as in love with her as ever. "She called me in sick from work so that she could go shopping with Serena."

"That's right, I heard the two of you got married," Vanessa responded, "Congratulations."

"Thank you," he responded graciously.

"How are Blair and Serena?" Vanessa asked curiously. Chuck was surprised at her interest. Vanessa never really had a problem with Serena, but he knew that she couldn't stand Blair.

"They're good," Chuck replied, "Blair obviously is amazing. She's taken a year off from her fashion label to be home with Charlotte. She's still drawing and consulting on this year's line, but she didn't want to be forced back into a heavy workload with our daughter still so young. Serena is . . ." He suddenly struggled to come up with a description of what Serena was doing. After graduating from Brown, Serena had been drifting. She did a little modeling for a time, but didn't seem to enjoy the competitive nature of the business. She then spent a summer working with the Peace Corp. She talked about doing that again, but mostly she was happily coasting through life without a care in the world although occasionally she ended up on Page Six. "Serena is doing good," he finally decided.

"And Nate?" Vanessa asked curiously. From the bite of her lip and the slightly reddish tint to her cheeks, he could tell she was embarrassed to ask.

"He's doing great," Chuck replied, "As soon as he took control of his inheritance, he got himself out of the clutches of the Vanderbilt family and is doing his own thing. He's involved in fundraising for non-profit organization for the homeless. He's constantly hitting my company up for money."

"And I'm sure you happily turn him down," Vanessa assumed.

"Quite the opposite actually, Bass Industries is one of his largest contributors," Chuck laughed. It didn't surprise him to see the genuine look of surprise on her face. "A lot has changed in six years, Vanessa."

"I guess so," she replied as she continue to study the man in front of her. He definitely wasn't the man she had known in her youth. He was so much different, so much kinder and gentler. "Do you still see Nate often?"

"At least once or twice a month," Chuck replied, "Whenever Blair scrounges up another blind date for him. She keeps saying that she promised to help him look on our wedding day. Doesn't make a lot of sense to me, but she can't help herself. She wants everyone to be as happy as she is." He studied Vanessa closely for a moment. There was something in her eyes when she put together that Nate was still single that told Chuck she was relieved by it. "You should stop by the penthouse tonight. He's coming over for a quiet dinner. He made Blair promise to not bring him a date this time."

"I don't know about that," Vanessa responded hesitantly. He wasn't sure what was deterring her. Was it the thought of seeing Nate again after so many years, or being in Blair's house.

Charlotte chose that moment to wake up and start fussing. Chuck could sense that she wanted move around. He quickly reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a business card and a pen. He wrote the address to the penthouse on the card and handed it to Vanessa. "Dinner is at seven," Chuck responded, "You should come."

"It was good to see you again, Chuck," Vanessa responded as Chuck pushed the stroller and walked away.

"Nathaniel, it's Chuck, you should join us for dinner this evening at the penthouse," Chuck suggested when he phoned his best friend once he knew he was clear of Vanessa.

"Another blind date?" Nate groaned.

"Nah," Chuck assured him, "Just some good food and adult conversation."

"I've heard that before, Dude," Nate grumbled.

"You have my word," Chuck responded, "Blair will not bring you a date."

"Alright," Nate agreed, "I'll come, only if you promise that I get to see my goddaughter."

"That can be arranged," Chuck laughed as Charlotte chose that moment to squeak out in delight, "Sounds like Charlotte's looking forward to it."

"She's with you?" Nate concluded in surprise, "Is it bring your daughter to work day already? She's a little young for that don't you think."

"Dinner is at seven, Nathaniel. Don't be late," Chuck replied as he chose to ignore his friend's sarcastic remark.

Charlotte looked at her father with what Chuck could only describe as a curious expression as he pocketed the phone. She looked so much like Blair at that moment. Clearly she was asking her father what he was up to. "Daddy is playing match maker," Chuck explained as he made his way to the zoo.

* * *

"My two favorite people," Blair responded as she joined Chuck and Charlotte at Central Park after five hours of intense shopping with Blair. She quickly picked up Charlotte, who was sound asleep in the stroller once more and hugged her before she greeted Chuck with a kiss.

"How was your day of shopping?" Chuck inquired as they walked to a park bench and sat down.

"Depressing," she frowned as she plopped down on the bench. "I still don't fit into the size I was before I got pregnant."

"Blair, you gave birth just a few months ago," Chuck rationalized as he put his arm around her shoulder, "It can take time. Besides, if you ask me, you look better now than you ever did."

"So sweet, Bass, but so untrue," she sighed as she leaned into his embrace.

"Stop it, Blair," he scolded. He hated that she had such a low self-esteem. They had fought that long and hard during their first few years together, but it now appeared that her old insecurities were coming back. "You know I think you're perfect just the way you are."

She remained silence for several moments, which caused him to get nervous.

"What are you thinking, Blair?" he finally asked, needing to break the uncomfortable silence.

"I'm just trying to figure out what I did to deserve you," she replied as she turned her head to beam at him.

"All you had to do was love me," he replied as he captured her lips in a scorching kiss. A clearing of the throat interrupted them.

"Ms. Blair, your picnic," Dorota stated as she approached the pair in the park with a picnic basket in her arms.

"Thank you, Dorota," she responded gratefully as she unloaded the basket from her. "Will you stay and join us for a little while?" Dorota looked stunned by Blair's request. Even Chuck was a little taken aback.

"No, Ms. Blair," Dorota replied, "I have to get back to Ms. Waldorf. She's preparing for her trip to Paris, and I have much to do."

"Dorota, you know if you came to work for us, you'd barely have to lift a finger," Chuck teased. Dorota chuckled in response as she blushed. "Whenever you're ready, we have a position waiting for you. Name your price, and your terms and we'll exceed them." Dorota nodded as she turned to leave.

"You sounded so sincere that time," Blair chuckled as she pushed Charlotte's stroller to a clearing in the trees were they could lay out a blanket and enjoy the warm sunshine while Chuck carried the heavy picnic basket. He was convinced that Dorota had added a few bricks just to torment him.

"One day I am going to pry her away from your mother," he insisted sincerely. "I am Chuck Bass. Eventually I get what I want."

"So I've observed," she responded with a glare.

Finally reaching their destination, Blair and Chuck worked together to spread out the blanket Dorota had packed before they set up the food that had been prepared. The blanket has solved the mystery as to why the basket was so heavy. It was a thick wool one. How Dorota had managed to fit it so neatly into the basket was beyond him. He knew without a doubt that it was going to have to go in the bottom of Charlotte's stroller once they were finished. Blair began preparing the plates as Chuck picked up Charlotte, careful not to wake her, and laid down so he could rest her on his chest.

"Do you expect me to feed you?" Blair teased as she took a grape from his plate and placed it in his mouth.

"I'll eat when she wakes up," he assured her as he rhythmically stroked Charlotte's back. "She's been out for over an hour. She's due to wake up soon. Go ahead and eat. You can take her when you're done."

"Did Charlee enjoy the zoo?" Blair asked as she ate her meal.

"She seemed too," he nodded, "She was giggling and cooing the entire time. The penguins appeared to be her favorites."

"Those were mine too," Blair responded in delight.

"Little birds in black and white suits . . . why doesn't that surprise me?" he chuckled, "You always had a thing for formals."

Blair glared at him as she continued to eat.

"You'll never guess who I ran into when I first got here," Chuck stated cryptically.

Blair looked at him expectantly. She didn't want to hazard a guess as there were just too many options. As long as it wasn't her long time nemesis Georgina Sparks, she didn't care.

"Vanessa Abrams," he replied. Her jaw dropped in surprise. She certainly wasn't expecting that.

"A blast from the past," Blair replied, "Wow, I can honestly say I haven't thought about her in years. How is she?"

"She looked good. She hasn't changed too much. She's still doing the film maker thing," Chuck replied.

"Naturally," Blair replied with a roll of her eyes. She didn't understand the world that Vanessa Abrams came from, nor the interest she had in documentary films. On the best of days she tolerated Vanessa. On the worst of days, she set out to destroy her. She felt guilty about all of that now, but it still didn't open her mind up to the world Vanessa came from.

"I invited her to dinner tonight," Chuck added.

"I didn't know we were having dinner tonight," Blair repeated in surprise. Dinner to Chuck always meant at least a three course meal while entertaining guests, usually Nate or Serena along with their companion for the evening.

"And I invited Nathaniel," Chuck continued.

"Is Chuck Bass playing matchmaker?" Blair teased him with a knowing stare, "Honestly, Chuck, you make fun of me."

"At least my prospects actually show some potential for long term romance," Chuck shot back.

"All of my prospects had potential," she responded defensively.

"Need I remind you of Jessica or Hillary or Eva," Chuck prompted with a smirk as he knew he had made his point. Blair frowned as she recalled those three dating disasters.

"I genuinely thought that Jessica was more intelligent than that," Blair insisted, "She said that she went to Harvard."

"Too bad she forgot to mention that it was only to attend a frat party," he chuckled.

"Fine, but Nate's not interested in Vanessa anymore," Blair shot back.

"Care to make a wager," he responded suggestively.

"State your terms," she countered with a genuine amount of intrigue. She loved these little moments of competition between her and Chuck. It reminded her of why she fell in love with him in the first place.

"If Vanessa and Nate go out on one date after tonight's meal, I win. If they never see each other again, then you do," he proposed.

"And what is it that we'll be betting on," she inquired, "A night of ecstasy, perhaps?"

"So very tempting," he groaned, "And don't think I haven't forgotten about my earlier promise to finish what we started in the bathroom this morning, but I was thinking something a little more family friendly."

Blair frowned slightly, "What do you have in mind?"

"Christmas will be here before we know it," Chuck began.

"Okay," she stated slowly. Where was he going with this?

"Last year we spent the holiday with your father in France," he continued, "And you've said that you'd like to do that again this year."

"What is your point?" Blair responded growing impatient by his drawn out response.

"If I win the bet, I get to choose how we spend Christmas this year," he explained.

"And if I do?" she asked.

"Then we go to France," he countered.

"I liked your terms better before we became parents," she stated with a pout, "At least they were more interesting."

"And what do you propose, Princess?" he inquired. His curiosity had been peaked.

"If you win, which is doubtful, we'll go with your Christmas thingy," she agreed, "But if I win, I get to plan a night of passion for the two of us, and Charlotte gets to stay with Lily or Serena."

"Suddenly I hope I lose," he chuckled as she leaned down to kiss him.

His gaze turned serious as she pulled away. "Do you know what today is?"

She nodded in agreement, "I was hoping that the day with Charlotte would distract you from remembering."

"That was a very good try. I didn't remember until I saw the newspaper in the limo," Chuck replied.

"Forgot the newspaper," she sighed, obviously cursing herself for missing the one detail that tipped him off.

"I took Charlotte to the cemetery," he admitted after a few moments of silence, "I hope that's okay. I wanted her to meet her grandparents."

"It's completely okay," Blair assured him as she set down her plate and went to lay down next to him, "She should know them."

"And I'm glad she was there," Chuck admitted as he began stroking Blair's flowing auburn hair, "She pulled me out of my funk. Last year was the hardest it's ever been. I should have let you come with me last year, but I didn't want you to see me like that."

"I have seen you at your absolute worst, Chuck Bass," she reminded him, "Nothing you do or say could ever make me think less of you."

"Why is it that my worst always involves my father?" he inquired out loud. It wasn't a question that he was looking for her to answer.

"Because you loved him so much and so desperately wanted his approval, but never received it from him when he was alive," she responded as she gently rubbed his chest. Of course she would have the right answer.

Charlotte began to wake up again. She looked up and smiled at the both of them.

"Does our life get any better?" Chuck asked as he smiled down at the little girl, picking her up off his chest so that he and Blair could kiss her.

**TBC . . .**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"Are you ready to head back to the penthouse?" Blair inquired as she began cleaning up after their picnic. Chuck was currently blowing on Charlotte's stomach, which was eliciting giggle after giggle from both the small child and her father.

"Actually, I have one other thing in mind before we return home," Chuck responded with a charming grin.

"I know that look, Bass," she responded with a knowing glare, "If your plan involves public nudity, you can just forget it."

"Give me a little credit," he responded with his voice as smooth as silk, "I would never propose something like that while Charlotte is with us. Now, if she wasn't here, your idea would be most intriguing."

"Mind off the prize," she prompted him as he caught her staring lustfully at her breasts.

"You are most certainly a prize," he agreed as his grin turned devilish.

"Chuck," she scowled.

"I want Charlotte to ride the carousel," Chuck explained as he picked his daughter up and put her in the stroller.

"How do you plan on her doing that? She's two months old. She's just learning to hold her head up. She certainly isn't capable of hanging onto a plastic horse going up and down as it spins around in a circle," Blair scoffed.

"You give me so little credit," he smirked, "I don't plan on her riding alone."

"Chuck Bass sitting on a plastic horse," she responded skeptically as she laughed in amusement, "This I have to see."

True enough, Chuck climbed atop the horse of the carousel and held Charlotte securely as it went round and round. The little girl was smiling and giggling the entire time. Blair couldn't resist the urge to take picture after picture with her camera phone from her seat on the horse next to them.

"Okay, that's enough excitement for one day," Blair stated as she hopped down from her horse and took Charlotte from his arms so he could hop down as well. Charlotte was starting to get fussy which told Blair that she was getting tired.

"I suppose it would be rude to show up late for our own dinner party," Chuck agreed. Blair handed Charlotte to Chuck and put the picnic basket in the stroller. He marveled at how smart a wife had as he carried Charlotte back to the limo while Blair pushed the stroller. His little girl was so much lighter than the picnic basket.

"How was your day at the park, Mister Bass?" Henry asked as he held the door open for Chuck and Blair to climb in.

"Wonderful," Chuck replied as he looked to Charlotte who had once again fallen asleep. Somewhere in the back of his mind he thought that it might not be a good idea for her to sleep again as she would be up all night, but didn't have the heart to wake her up. Besides, he didn't mind staying up with her all night.

"Where to?" Henry asked.

"My little girl is tired, so I think home is a good choice," Chuck responded as he waited for Blair to slide in before he followed her. Henry nodded as he closed the door.

"I'm going to lay her down and then start getting ready for dinner," Blair stated as they entered their home.

"Will you be gracing us with one of your new ensembles?" he inquired. He always liked when she went shopping because she would put on a private fashion show just for him of all the new clothes she bought.

"Naturally," she confirmed as she winked at him, "And if you play nice tonight at dinner, I might even entertain you with a lingerie show."

Chuck groaned. He was cursing under his breath the fact that he had proposed the dinner. Nathaniel had better appreciate his match-making attempt. He suddenly remembered the bet that he had made with his wife and was torn on how he wanted the evening to go.

One thing that was for sure was that this was going to be an interesting meal.

"Where is my goddaughter?" Nate inquired loudly as soon as he stepped off the elevator. This voice echoed through the penthouse.

"She's asleep right now," Blair responded as he stepped towards her to kiss her cheek.

"Well go wake her," Nate replied, "Chuck promised that I could see her."

"I promised you could see her," Chuck stated as he approached his best friend, extending his hand in greeting, "I didn't say she would be awake."

"Either way," Nate responded as he shook Chuck's hand. Chuck motioned for him to follow as he made his way to Charlotte's room. Chuck picked her up and placed her in Nate's awaiting arms. "She's looking more and more like Blair every day," Nate noted as he held her like he would a football.

"Thank goodness for that," Chuck laughed as they both made their way back to the living room with Charlotte still sound asleep in Nate's arms where they had left Blair. Turns out she wasn't waiting alone.

"Chuck, you promised," Nate whispered as he caught the back of their additional dinner guest.

"I promised that Blair was not setting you up on a blind date, and she's not. This is all me," Chuck grinned, "And technically it's not a blind date. You've met before."

"Vanessa!" Nate exclaimed as she turned to reveal herself to him.

"Hello, Nate," she responded with a self-conscious smile.

"Funny thing," Chuck responded as Nate looked to him for some sort of explanation, "I was in the park with Charlotte today, and who should approach me, but Vanessa Abrams. Nobody was more stunned than I, of course, but seeing as how we are old friends, I felt it my duty to invite her to dinner so that we could catch up."

"Did this happen before or after you invited me to dinner?" Nate inquired.

"Before," Chuck conceded.

Blair chuckled at the growl Nate shot at Chuck. She quickly took Charlotte out of his arms to proudly show her off to Vanessa.

"A word," Nate requested as he pulled Chuck into his own study.

"Don't even pretend to not be excited to see her," Chuck insisted before Nate could get a word out. "I know how broken up you were when you two called it quits permanently. You've been on this never ending quest to find the perfect woman ever since, even attempting to steal my fiancée from me on my wedding day."

Nate gave him a guilty look, "I don't know that she told you about that."

"Blair tells me everything. Besides it was easy to overlook," Chuck shrugged as he stopped Nate from attempting to apologize, "Because in the end, she still married me that day."

"But bringing me here today . . . to see her," Nate stated.

"I want you to be as happy as I am, even if it's with someone from Brooklyn," Chuck explained. He winced slightly at saying the word 'Brooklyn'.

"You're getting better at saying that," Nate laughed, "You used to stumble after the first 'O'."

"Very funny, Nathaniel," Chuck replied as he went to his liquor cabinet and pulled out a bottle of bourbon to pour each of them a drink.

"We should join the party," Nate concluded as he down his drink in one gulp.

"That's the spirit," Chuck laughed as he followed his friend back in the living room with a drink in his hand that would barely be touched.

After a pleasant meal and conversation Nate and Vanessa left after making plans to meet again the next day. Chuck grinned eagerly at the thought of winning the bet. Christmas in New York City was guaranteed. They would be celebrating Charlotte's first Christmas in New York with all their family and friends. Of course, he would have make sure that Blair's father joined them, but he was pretty sure that would be an easy sale. Charlotte had the entire family wrapped around her very tiny little finger.

Now his attention turned to Blair. He had behaved admirably during their meal which should assure his reward. If he was lucky, he would talk Blair into that fashion show this evening.

Charlotte suddenly cried out from her room, and Chuck was in her room in mere seconds.

The fashion show would wait. He had to tend to his little girl first.

**TBC…**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"Are you ready for your fashion show, Mister Bass?" Blair inquired as she strolled into Charlotte's room where Chuck was tending to their daughter.

"In a few minutes," he agreed. Charlotte was still awake and looked like she wanted to play.

"She slept too much today," Blair concluded as she walked over to them to see Charlotte's eyes wide open.

"I'm sorry," he responded.

"It's okay," Blair assured him as she kissed his forehead before bending over further to kiss Charlotte's, "Our fashion show can wait."

"Dinner seemed to go pretty well," Chuck responded as he decided to relocate them to the living room so that Charlotte could lay out on a blanket and do her little pushups once more.

"You would think that considering you won the bet," she grumbled. It was such an inconsequential bet, but she still hated to lose. He could easily see that. "How upset was Nate when you told him that you set him up?"

"You heard him growl at me," Chuck reminded her.

"But I couldn't hear the conversation in your study," she reminded him.

"It was pretty civil," he assured her, "He was more stunned than angry. She was always his one that got away."

"I always thought that was me," she responded as she laid the blanket out for Chuck.

"You were the first love," Chuck clarified, "There is a difference."

"Was it as awkward for you at the dinner as it was for me?" Blair asked as Chuck laid Charlotte out on the blanket.

"Why was it awkward?" he asked. He didn't feel the tension at all.

"Well considering everyone slept with everyone else," Blair responded as she rolled her eyes.

"I'm pretty sure I was never drunk or stoned enough to have slept with Nate, and if you and Vanessa did, I want details, and possibly photographic proof," Chuck grinned devilishly.

"And this is the real Chuck Bass, Charlee. Doesn't he make you so proud," Blair told her daughter before she returned her attention to her husband, "And you know what I mean."

"It was one night with me and Vanessa, and I made peace with you and Nate a long time ago," Chuck stated, "Although I might have let it slip that you told me about what he did at the wedding."

"Why would you do that?" Blair asked as she slapped his chest, "I told you that in the strictest of confidence."

"Blair, that hurt," Chuck responded as he rubbed his chest where she'd hit him.

"Good," she replied as she smacked him again.

"Blair, save that for later," Chuck responded as he continued to rub his chest, "And I told him that I knew because I wanted him to know that it didn't bother me. It was only natural that when his first love decided to marry someone else that he would have a little trouble with it."

"And who is your first love?" Blair cooed even though she already could predict his answer.

"You are my only love," he replied as he planted a passionate kiss on her lips.

"That's a really good line," she smirked as she pulled away, keeping him at a distance as he tried to pull her back to him. "Charlotte's watching."

"Let her watch," Chuck replied as he looked down to see Charlotte's eyes on them, "It's important for her to know that her parents love each other."

"She'll figure that out very quickly in a few years," Blair responded as she allowed him to kiss her again.

Charlotte began gurgling, possibly in an effort to have attention be paid to her, Chuck realized as he pulled away from Blair.

"You are your mother's daughter," Chuck laughed as they both sat down next to her, "Always wanting to be the center of attention. Princess, we promise that you will always have our attention when you need it."

"Are you really going to take that leave of absence?" Blair inquired.

"Yes," he nodded, "Today definitely sealed the deal. Bass Industries never gives me the type of joy that I got today when I was spending time with her. I may go back to it eventually, but for right now this feels right. I want to be there when she starts crawling and walking. I want to teach her to say my name, and it be the first word she says."

"The Board of Directors is going to have a fit," Blair stated.

"They probably will," he nodded in agreement, "And I'll never be able to completely free myself from the business. I am a Bass after all, and one day I want to be able to give this to Charlotte and any other children that we may have . . . if they choose."

"Other children," Blair repeated. She could have been blown over with a feather at that moment. Chuck Bass wanted more children.

"Charlotte should have siblings," Chuck nodded. He had always felt he was missing out on that experience, especially after he went to live with Serena and Eric when Bart married Lily.

"Have you decided how many siblings she should have?" Blair pressed. This all seemed surreal to her. She figured one would be it for them.

"At least one, maybe two," he added. He couldn't help but laugh at the stunned expression on her face.

"And when do you think we'll get around to having this one or two more?" she asked.

"Certainly not just yet," he replied, "I think Charlotte should be walking before we start trying again, but until then we'll have a lot of fun practicing."

"We certainly will," Blair agreed as she leaned into him. Charlotte cooed once more.

"What do you think, Charlotte?" Chuck asked as he laid down as close to her as he could, propping his head on his hand, "Do you want a brother or sister?" She reached out her hand to him placing a few fingers on his lips. He pulled them playfully into his mouth and bit down lightly.

"I have a confession to make," Blair stated as she marveled at the interaction between her daughter and husband. Bright smiles graced both of their faces. Chuck looked at her expectantly. "I never thought you'd be as good with Charlotte as you are."

"What to hear my confession?" Chuck responded. He didn't wait for her response, "I never thought that I'd be any good with kids period. I knew that I wanted to make sure that our children knew that I love them, but I didn't know how hands on I would be able to be. Children terrify me."

"They used to terrify you," Blair amended, "From day one, you and Charlotte have a bond that almost makes me jealous."

"Jealous," he responded in surprise, "I'm jealous of how much time you get to spend with her."

"Well, we're in this together," she replied as she entwined her fingers with his, "You, me, and daddy's little girl."

Chuck smirked as he captured her lips once again. Tomorrow he knew that he would have to return to Bass Industries and prepare company for a new regime, but tonight he was with his daughter and his wife. Nothing else mattered in those moments.


End file.
